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Devon Epps: The Missing Memorial Page

I’ve been out of town for a week. Upon my arrival back in Greenville, I discovered that I haven’t missed much in the on-going investigation into the death of Devon Epps. The Greenville News has run a couple of stories, but they’re basically saying what we already know.

I’ve been getting a lot of e-mails from readers regarding this case. Thanks for continuing to check in. One reader sent me something I’ve been trying to find for the past several weeks.

In the hours after Epps’ death, his mother’s MySpace page switched from a rundown of the kind of drinks Amanda Smith liked to enjoy to a memorial site for her son. A few days later, the entire site was taken down. Some industrious cyber sleuth was able to track down a cache of the page. A reader e-mailed it to me this evening.

It begins (note: any spelling and grammar mistakes were not corrected):

Dedicated to DEVON CHAD EPPS… July 12, 2000 to August 13, 2007. You will never be forgotten Son. You left me here alone… but soon I’ll with you. Save me a spot! Rest in eternal peace baby boy and look down on us everyday. Keep us safe in this cold, dark world and give us strength on every pathway. Send us angels when we need them most, And be our light from coast to coast.

It continues:

To My Angel: August 14, 2007 My precious baby boy, we mourn you today. We sit here devastated, no words to say. Such an unthinkable act happened to you. So many unanswered questions are still ringing through. With shattered hearts and broken spirits, we try to maintain. Grieving you so deeply, no words to express this crushing pain. We ask God “why?” and “what is you master plan?” He whispers to us “I have you in the palm of my hand”. And so, we try to make it through another day without you. Waiting to see your sweet face again in heaven beyond the blue. You were our love, our life, our very heart that beat. Your smile was so beautiful, you brought joy to everyone you would meet. Your eyes were the window to the pure excitement you were thinking. Your endless energy fueled your spirit, your heavenly little being. Please watch over us in this day to day life we are left to live. Be by our side and in our heart, and strength we pray you give. We know you are waiting to welcome us to the other side, We long for the day we hold you again, and in your presence always abide. Devon, you are my angel. I love you so much and my world is empty without you. You were the driving force in my life and I can’t imagine going on with my life without you in it. The memories you have left me with are so dear to me and I will cherish everyone. I can’t wait to hold you again. I love you my only son and I miss you so very much.

Brad Willis is a writer based in Greenville, South Carolina. Willis spent a decade as an award-winning broadcast journalist. He has worked as a freelance writer, columnist, and professional blogger since 2005. He has also served as a commentator and guest on a wide variety of television, radio, and internet shows.

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5 Responses

Wow! You can look at that and also see an overwrought parent trying to face the horror. Or…

There is the parents in a similar legal setting that returned to England recent after being seriously questioned by Portuguese police.

In a small town outside of Chicago, a man was arrested for the murder of his daughter who was stolen from the home and found in a nearby river. The man spent a goodly amount of time in jail awaiting trial. He was cleared by DNA evidence recently.

And, of course, OJ is back.

Courts, media, public opinion conspire to reach the truth. But, how often do we ever know the real truth?

This parents child had just died. When did she have time to create this FANCY website? What gets me is she gets the date of her own sons death wrong!!! How does that happen? i don’t believe a word that comes out of her mouth. I’ve met the girl, she did it!!!!

And when did her friends have the time to change their screen names and pictures to be Devon related and find all different myspace sympathy cards? Apparently, these people spend way too much time on myspace. Judging by Amanda’s two myspaces, it seems like she’s one to express herself in writing, so I don’t think it’s a completely abnormal emotional reaction for her to spend time on her myspace after his death. But in the light of all the other holes in her story, it comes off as a calculated sympathy grab. I think she thought so too, and that’s why it’s no longer online. It must be killing her to give up myspace. Do they allow that in prison?